ing so much, going a
bit free, as she did when close-hauled, the wind drawing more abeam as
it veered north; and Captain Snaggs was not the last to notice this, you
may be sure. He thought he might just as well take advantage of it, as
not being one of your soft-hearted sailors, but a `beggar to carry on
when he had the chance,' at least, so said Hiram Bangs, who had sailed
with him before.

No sooner, therefore, were the yards braced round than he roared out
again to the watch, keeping them busy on their legs--

"Hands, make sail!"

"Let go y'r tops'l halliards!"

"Away aloft thaar, men!" he cried, when the yards came down on the caps;
"lay out sharp and shake out them reefs!"

Then, it was all hoist away with the halliards and belay, the mainsail
being set again shortly afterwards and the jib rehoisted, with the
foretopmast staysail stowed and the reef let out of the foresail.

Later on, the top-gallants were set, as well as the spanker; and the
_Denver City_, under a good spread of canvas, began to show us how she
could go through the water on a bowline; for, the sea having gone down a
bit, besides running the same way we were going, she did not take in so
much wet nor heel over half so much as she did an hour before, when
beating to windward, while every stitch she had on drew, sending her
along a good eight knots or more, with a wake behind her like a mill
race.

During the commotion that ensued when we were bracing the yards and
letting out reefs and setting more sail, I had lost sight of Sam
Jedfoot, the men bustling about so much forward that I retreated under
the break of the poop, out of their way; but, from here, I noticed that
Sam made himself very busy when the clew-garnet blocks were hauled aft,
on the mainsail being dropped, his powerful arms being as good as any
two men tailed on to a rope, for there was "plenty of beef" in him, if
he were not up to much in the matter of size.

After the bustle, however, I was called in to the cabin by the steward,
to help wait at table, as the captain had come down to dinner at last,
now that everything was going well with the ship and we were fairly out
at sea, the first-mate accompanying him, while Jan Steenbock was left in
charge of the deck, with strict orders to keep the same course, west
sou'-west, and call Captain Snaggs if any change should take place in
the wind.

"I guess the stoopid cuss can't make no durned mistake about thet," I
heard the capta